Mediterranean Diet: Good for the Brain

Older people who consume a Mediterranean-style diet may reduce their risk of cognitive decline, a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in August 2017 confirmed.

Researchers analyzed the diets of a nationally representative group of 5,900 older people (average age 67), who underwent cognitive testing involving mostly memory and attention skills. Those whose eating habits came closest to the Mediterranean diet or the related MIND diet did best on the cognitive tests (various health and lifestyle factors were controlled for). The MIND diet melds the Mediterranean diet and the antihypertension DASH diet, both of which have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. The diets feature vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine, while limiting red meat, fried or fast foods, butter, stick margarine, cheese, and pastries and other sweets.